


Rose by Rose

by MidnightNinja27



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Blood, Cabins, Cannibalism, Delusions, Dreams vs. Reality, Insanity, Love Letters, M/M, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, Multiple Endings, Murder, Obsessive Behavior, One-Sided Relationship, Roses, Schizophrenia, Self-Harm, Stockholm Syndrome, Straight jackets, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Suicide Attempt, not accurate, turned two sided
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:00:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29064720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightNinja27/pseuds/MidnightNinja27
Summary: AU: Tom is insanely in love with Harry.I get jealous. I never admit it but I hate it when you talk about somebody else. I only want you for me.Harry is in high school and is unloved by his parents when he gets notes from a secret admirer. Things get serious when murders start and Harry finds blood covered roses in his locker with new notes from said admirer.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	1. Watching them Bloom

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Harry, Harry, Quite Contrary](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8776759) by [Fairygirl34](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairygirl34/pseuds/Fairygirl34). 



Narrator's POV

Tom Marvolo Riddle was a unique boy, anyone you asked would agree to that, but depending on who you asked the reason why changed.

If you asked his teachers —save Counsler Dumbledore— or the school's headmaster, Horace Slughorn, they would tell you he was a gifted boy in an unfortunate situation.

If you asked his peers in school, they would tell you that he was a genius but also a loner with no friends.

If you asked anyone who lived or worked in Wool's Orphange, they would tell you that boy was the Devil.

And, for better or worst, all of those opinions were right in a way.

But Tom didn't care what anyone thought of him, only one person's opinion mattered to him —save his own— and that opinion belonged to Harry James Potter.

And if only his sweetheart would notice him, everything would be perfect, but until then, Tom watched his daring from afar.

Now Tom liked trophies and prizes like anyone, but what he accepted as such was different than most others; anything he decided to take he considered a trophy, to a pack of cards he took from one of the kids in the room across the hall or the pocketknife he picked out of Mrs. Cole's apron or the Polaroid camera he took from old Mr. Wool's office.

But his favorite things were his prizes: a toothbrush, a ball of hair, a red sock with lions in it and a broken pair of glasses made up his prizes, all taken from his lovely's home.

He liked his prizes, but what he wanted the most was his sweet Queen instead of little knickknacks taken from him.

Tom opened his closet and pushed his clothing to the sides to reveal his shrine of his Harry, containing several polaroids of said boy with others he considered his friends, with their faces scratched out of the pictures of course since he didn't want to see them.

And the newest addition laid in the center of the shrine, wrapped in plastic wrap and set on a paper plate was a human heart that belonged to Myrtle Warren which was now a sacrifice for his love.

Myrtle had flirted with the Queen, so she was the perfect sacrifice since Harry belonged to him, no one would take him away EvEr.

Tom then picked up the water bottle filled with Myrtle's blood that was next to the heart and a white rose he had taken last night from a nearby rose garden, dripping a little blood on it and placing it gently in his school bag so he could place it in his Queen's locker later with a love letter.

Oh he remembered the day he fell in love like it was yesterday.

Five years ago, when he was eleven and Harry was ten, the elementary schools had merged into one middle school and he had met his love on the playground, in a corner hiding from the bullies.

Harry had smiled kindly at him, in a way no one else had ever done before or since: a true smile, not a fake one.

Now, he wanted to see that smile everyday, but first he had to get Harry's love in return.

"He WiLl LoVe YoU sOoN." The voices promised

Tom nodded happily, that's what he wanted since he'd never had anyone love him before.

"ThE qUeEn WiLl Be YoUrS fOrEvEr As LoNg As He Is IsOlAtEd." The voices continued

Tom nodded again, that sounded simple enough, he just needed the Queen's love first.

So, he looked back to the roses and letter, yes that would be he perfect place to start.

He stroked the picture of Harry, "You'll never leave me, I won't let you, everyone else has but you won't."

With a creepy smile on his face, Tom went to bed and went to sleep, dreaming of having his Queen to himself, away from all others...


	2. Pulling the Weeds

Narrator's POV

Harry Potter searched through his red backpack while at his locker after the long school day, stuffing the newest note from his secret admirer into the bottom pocket.

For the past three months, he had been getting a note every day, without fail, from a secret admirer but recently, after the murder of Myrtle Warren, he had been receiving white roses with drops of blood on them as well.

The notes had been growing into darker and darker love notes but Harry couldn't find it in himself to mind since his admirer was still so sweet.

Today's note read, "I want you to show me the deepest part of your consciousness. I want to see the twisted thoughts, the monsters, the horrors that keep you up screaming late into the night. I want to understand the intricate and fragile design that is your mind. I want to meet your demons and hear the things they whisper in your ear. I want to hold your hand as they tear you apart so you know that you are not alone."

Harry thought that it was sweet, as twisted as it was, just like the first note that said, "I crave you in the most innocent form. I crave to say good night and give you forehead kisses and to say that I adore you when you feel at your worst. I crave you in ways where I just want to be next to you and nothing more or less."

Since the bloody roses had began right after the murder occurred, he had a idea that his admirer was the killer, but he didn't tell anyone; no one showed as much love as his admirer, not his friends nor parents and his godfathers that had been traveling the world since before he was born so he was all alone so why would he rat out his admirer and make that love go away?

Harry sighed as he pulled today's rose out in the restroom and plucked off the petals and flushed them down the toilet and threw the stem away; he wished he could keep the roses but having bloody roses would be suspicious.

Picking his backpack back up, he walked out of the school alone to his house where he knew he'd still be alone with only his dog, Hedwig, as company since his parents were too busy working —James as a police officer and Lily as a secretary— to have time for him.

***

Tom Riddle watched Harry as said boy walked out of the school, his messy black hair bouncing as he walked down the school's steps.

Harry was the epitome of a goddess: his pale skin without flaw; his eyes the color of emeralds; his hair as black and messy as charcoal; his lips plump and perfectly kissable; his body hourglass-shaped without the top; his kindness extreme; his bravery proved; and Tom wanted him all to himself.

But, sitting on the benches near the steps he only observed since this was the time of day he picked out his next victim; since he had killed Myrtle for flirting with his Harry a few weeks ago, he had been watching over his beloved to make sure no one made a similar mistake and so far no one had.

Watching as jock Ron Weasley approached Harry and shoved him after Harry refused to let him copy his essay and started yelling verbal abuse to the smaller male, it took all Tom had to not kill the ginger now and silence the voices shouting in his head.

"MuSt KiLl HiM." The voices urged, Tom felt the pocket knife —that he had stolen from the orphanage's matron, Ms. Cole— in his jacket pocket

He made up his mind, following Weasel as he walked home alone after his friends left him to do the same, pushing the ginger into an alleyway and torturing him as fast as he could, slitting the ginger's throats after he had his fun, he left his mark —a skull with a snake slithering around it— behind.

Walking back to the orphanage, his black clothing hiding the little bits of blood that hit him, he showered and worked on his homework since he didn't want to lose his top-of-class status.

***

The murder of Ron Weasley was well known by the next day, Harry having heard his father complain to his mother at breakfast that the killer was the same as Myrtle's killer and the killer had left no clues nor DNA at the scene, only their symbol.

During lunch, he found the admirer's note and rose, the note read,"Have I pleased you, my love? Weasel was mean to you, so I made him go away. I'll make anyone whose mean to you go away. I love you."

Hiding the note in his backpack with the others and the leaving the rose to dispose of later, he left a note on his locker's door for the admirer that somehow knew his locker combination.

The note read, "Who are you? Why did you kill them?"

The next day, during lunch, he checked his locker again and found a rose and a reply, "Your protector: the 'knight in shining armor', if you will to your 'Queen'. Why does anyone do anything? For love."

For the next couple of days with only the weekend interrupting the messages, Harry asked, "Why don't you approach me if you love me so much?"

"Because I am not worthy of you." Was the reply he received, Harry didn't believe it, he was the one not worthy of such affection

Harry's reply was, "What of your 'Queen' demanded that you approach me?"

The next day, on Thursday, he got his answer, "Then, as your faithful protector, I would have no choice but to abide by my Queen's desires. Meet me behind the bleachers after school tomorrow."

***

The next day, on Friday, Harry walked to their meeting place alone, hoping he wasn't going to be stood up or tricked, when he saw someone walking towards him.

Hoping he wasn't accidentally interrupting a drug deal and started to walk away when the person stopped him, "Where are you going, my Queen?"

"Tom?" Harry asked, recognizing the voice of the smartest person in school who he had a couple of classes with

"Yes, sweetheart?" Tom asked, looking at him

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes, this had to be a trick, why would the hottest guy in school be into him when he could have anyone he wanted?

Walking away, Harry tried to stop his tears when Tom stopped him from walking away by grabbing his arms and pulling him close, "What's wrong, love?"

Sniffling, Harry replied, "This is a cruel trick, Riddle."

"This isn't a trick." Tom promised, tilting Harry's head towards him and kissing him chastely, "I love you. And all you have to do is agree to be mine, forever and always."

Harry blushed, "I agree, forever and always."

***

A month later, Tom and Harry had been dating happily, Harry wearing a promise ring that Tom stole.

As they walked from their history class to math —Tom's arm firmly around Harry's thin waist— when Ginny Weasley, who was a year under them, walked up to the couple.

Ginny completely ignored Tom and looked at Harry, her small shirt exposing parts of her even smaller cleavage, "Hey, Harry."

"Hi." Harry awkward replied, scooting deeper into Tom's arms

The voices in Tom's head rang with, "ThE wHoRe Is FlIrTiNg WiTh My HaRrY."

Placing her hand on Harry shoulder, "Do you want to go on a date?"

"ThAT bItCh Is ToUcHiNg My HaRrY." Rang in Toms head, "Do NoT tOuCh WhAt Is MiNe."

"Did you just ask me out in front of my boyfriend?" Harry asked, shocked, moving her off of him

"So what if he's your friend? I want to be your girlfriend." Ginny deadpanned

"Sorry, I'm spoken for, he's my boyfriend." Harry said, trying to make Ginny go away

"That's disgusting." Ginny spat, "Boys should only be with girls."

"KiLl HeR sLoWlY." Rang in Tom's head because of the insult

Moving the ginger, Tom pushed past her with Harry and they made it to class.

***

After school, after spending most of the day with his Queen, he left to go back to the orphanage, killing Ginny along the way.

He would kill anyone for his Queen, remove his problems person by person...rose by rose...


	3. A Beautiful Vase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the real ending.

Narrator's POV

A few months later, after Ginny death was long in the past, Harry cuddled against Tom in bed, their clothes scattered around the room —Lily and James at work all night.

Tom pressed kisses to his Queen's neck, whispering loving words since their mature activities were over.

Harry blushed: ever since he and Tom got together, he's been so happy and never felt safer.

"We should run away together." Tom suddenly said, whispering the words into Harry's ear

"What?" Harry asked, confused, "Why?"

"Think about it: we'd be so much happier on our own, we don't need anyone else." Tom said

"I don't understand." Harry replied

"Your parents and godparents ignore you. Your friends don't appreciate you." Tom replied, "And I don't think I can live much longer in the orphanage."

"W-What?" Harry said, shocked

"The only meals I get are at school or when I come over with you while your parents are out." Tom answered, "But if we ran away, we wouldn't be lonely or hungry anymore."

"Where would we even go?" Harry asked

"You know Old Man Filch?" Tom asked

"Yeah, he rarely comes into town but everyone knows him." Harry answered

"I've been around his cabin in the woods. It's pretty large, away from everyone, he has a garden for his food and a well for water, generators for electricity." Tom explained, "Since he hates everyone and has no family, no one would notice if he stopped appearing and no one would miss him. So I could kill him and we can take his cabin for our own."

"I guess we could." Harry mumbled, unsure

"And we could find abused kids and take them in." Tom said, "You could be a mummy."

Harry smiled, he wanted to be a mum and since he and Tom couldn't physically have kids this could be a solution, "O-okay."

Smirking at Harry considering his words, Tom pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead, "Pack anything you want to take with us in the morning and hide it in your closet and we can clean out our lockers before school and we leave during lunch."

Looking at the alarm clock and noticing it was 1am and Lily and James should arrive any moment, Tom got out of Harry's bed and dressed and climbed out of Harry's window and scaled down the brick wall to the ground and jumped the fence.

Walking through London, it took him only ten minutes to arrive to the orphanage and climb into his bedroom window and go to sleep.

Tom knew that his Queen would never be truly safe or truly his in public, so keeping his Queen completely to himself and hidden, he could protect his Harry properly.

***

In the morning, both males packed their things, Tom stuffed his few belongings into his backpack and headed for school and Harry packed his things —clothes, shoes, all his birthday money, and medicines— into his suitcase and hid it in his closet.

They made it through their morning classes with ease, sneaking out during lunch when a teacher noticed them.

"Riddle, Potter, are you two trying to play hooky?" Professor Umbridge, the Government teacher, asked

Neither male answered but Tom clamped a hand over her mouth until she passed out and them snapped her neck then snapping one of her high-heels so it looked like she tripped —then taking all the cash from her purse.

Once she was dead and the crime hidden, Tom grabbed Harry's hand and pulled them faster along.

Once they made it to Harry's house, they hurried in and rushed into Harry's room and received his duffle-bag. 

Hurrying back downstairs, the couple was surprised when James and Lily came home out of nowhere.

Panicking, Harry kicked Lily on the stomach and Tom knocked James out.

Tom was impressed with Harry's action, rewarding his Queen with a quick kiss, "Help me pull him into the bathroom."

Harry took his father's arms while Tom handled the legs —after taking James' police gun and the cash from his wallet— and it didn't take long for them to throw him into the bathtub and Tom picked up a razor-blade from the drawer and slid it across James' wrists.

Blood gushed out of James' wrists like a waterfall, Tom picked up his right arm and wrote, "I am a killer" on the wall to make it look like James was the murderer that hadn't been found — Tom thought it ironic that the police chief would now be viewed as a murderer.

That's when the tall male noticed his Harry crying and muttering, "I'm a murder accomplice."

Pressing a kiss to Harry's lips, Tom pulled Harry back into the living room where Lily laid unconscious.

Pulling a chair to where the rail stood and fetching a rope from the garage, Tom tied a noose and tied it around Lily's neck and pulled the rope up and tied it around the rail, effectively hanging Lily.

Finding Lily's purse, Tom took the cash from that as well and pocketed it as well.

Getting Harry's suitcase and his Harry himself, he put the duffle-bag outside and locked the house's door, making it look like a double-suicide, and hurried to take Harry into the woods.

***

A few hours later, Harry sat inside Filch's cabin, staring blankly at the wall as Tom threw Filch's body deeper into the woods and buried it in an unmarked grave.

Harry couldn't get the sight of all four murders he witnessed today out of his mind, he loved Tom fiercely but he was scared of him too.

When the cabin door opened and Tom entered, shutting the door behind him, he took off his blood-covered shirt —since Filch hadn't gone down without a fight— and threw it aside to wash later, and pressed a kiss to Harry's lips, "Do you like our new home, my love?"

Harry couldn't find his voice, so he nodded his head vertically.

"Are you upset me me, my Queen?" Tom asked causing Harry to shake his head horizontally

"Then why won't you speak to me?" Tom asked, "Do you regret our choice?"

"N-no." Harry answered, moving closer to him for comfort, "I guess I'm still shocked we did it, I'm just scared it's a dream."

"Okay, love." Tom said, holding Harry possessively, "It's very real."

Simply staying like that for several minutes, Tom pressed kisses all over Harry's body, slowly stripping him and them himself, effectively restating his claim to the smaller male.

As he made love to Harry, Tom came to a conclusion: Harry agreed to be his that fateful afternoon all those months ago, and if Harry ever tried to change that and leave him, he'd just keep Harry locked in the bedroom all day and night until Harry became loving again and all would be forgiven —but hopefully that would never happen.

***

A couple of years later, Tom held onto one of the many guns Filch had owned as he searched for some animals to kill before winter started and food became scarce.

Suddenly, he heard a cry nearby and followed it, thinking he had found a injured animal.

When he approached the source of the sound, he found a baby in a shoebox, someone had left a baby to die in the cold.

Picking the baby who couldn't be older than a week old up, he hurried home and found Harry washing clothes and listening to the radio in the kitchen.

When Harry heard him, he smiled at the sight of the little one and took her from his —though they never legally married— husband, "She's stone cold, you found her in the nick of time."

"I told you we'd have a little one." Tom said, "I found her in a shoebox about ten minutes away, someone left her to die in the cold."

"How horrible." Harry said, pressing a kiss to the baby before realizing, "We don't have any milk, we don't have anything to feed her."

"I'll go into town in the morning, love, I'll buy some formula." Tom said, "We have 10,000 pounds to work with."

And they did: 8,000 from all the money had had kept to save for college and 2,000 from all their victims from their escape.

""What should we name her?" Harry asked, looking at the brunette baby girl in his arms

"Ambrosia." Tom said, liking the name

"Ambrosia Riddle." Harry agreed, holding the sleeping infant

"I'm going back to the hunt, I'll be back in a few hours." Tom said, pressing a kiss to his Queen and Princess' forehead

***

Ten years later, when Ambrosia was ten years old —using the day they found her as her birthday—, Harry washed the veggies from the garden, then sliced the carrots for a snack.

"Happy Birthday, baby." Harry cheered, placing the plate in front of her

"Thank you, mummy." Ambrosia thanked, eating a slice

"You're welcome, baby." Harry replied, placing a kiss on her head

"How come papa goes into town sometimes and we don't, muma?" Sia asked

"Because it's not safe in London." Harry answered, his mind flashing to the body of the man who found their home that Tom was carving in the basement to eat since it was almost winter and meat was scarce, "Papa keeps us safe. He'll do whatever it takes to keep our family safe."

"Okay, mummy." Sia smiled, eating her snack

Harry went back to preparing dinner, glad that he felt like a house wife, and put the kidney and veggie casserole into the oven; Tom would be done soon.

Almost immediately, strong arms wrapped around Harry waist, holding a small white rose that was covered in blood.

"The last rose of the season." Tom said, sucking a new hickey on Harry's neck, dozens more already littering the smaller male's neck, "I love you, forever-"

"-and always." Harry smiled, putting it in the vase on the window where several others like it —white roses covered in dried blood— already stood

And Tom proved his love for his family every day, chore after chore, day by day, night by night...rose by rose...


	4. Dealing with the Thorns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Ending 1: what would have happened if Harry didn't want to be Tom's Queen.

Narrator's POV

Harry looked at Riddle as they stood behind the school bleachers, "You're the one that has been sending me all those notes and flowers."

"I did." Tom confirmed, relishing in the fact his Queen was as to be his

"Y-You killed people." Harry said

"I did, all for you." Tom once again confirmed, walking closer to him

Harry backed away slowly, trying to make some distance before he turned and ran away from this crazy person.

Once Harry began to run, Tom races after him, tackling him to the ground and making him pass out.

***

Harry woke up in a dim room on a bed, ropes tying his arms together and another rope doing the same to his legs.

"You're awake." A voice happily said, Harry turning his head to see Tom sitting on a nearby chair

"Untie me!" Harry demanded

Tom shook his head, "I will, when you agree to be my loving Queen."

"No!" Harry shouted, "I'm not and will never be your Queen."

"Well, then I guess you'll have to stay like that." Tom shrugged, twitching as he turned to leave the room

"Where are you going?" Harry asked, fearful

"I wouldn't let you starve." Tom said, quickly returning with a bowl of broth, a spoon and a napkin

Tom pushed the chair closer to the bed with his foot and sat down, dipping the spoon in the broth and placing it in front of Harry's mouth, "Its cooled down some."

"I won't eat it." Harry refused

Tom placed the bowl on the bedside table and used his free hand to pinch Harry's nose which forced Harry to breathe out of his mouth and Tom placing the spoon in the open mouth.

"There." Tom said, wiping Harry's mouth with the napkin, "See, I wouldn't poison you."

Harry tried to spit it out, making Tom to cover his mouth with his hand which forced Harry to swallow.

Tom then wiped his hand with the napkin, "Have manners, my Queen."

"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked

"I love you," Tom answered, "And I want you to love me too."

"Why? Why me?" Harry asked

Tom smiled, "How could I not? You're perfect in every way and everything will be as meant to be when you return my love."

Tom checked his watch, "Its getting late, we should get to bed."

"Can you untie me?" Harry asked

"When I know you will behave." Tom said, lying in bed next to Harry

"Where are we?" Harry asked, trying to ignore the other boy's closeness

"Safe." Tom answered, "Sweet dreams."

In actuality, they were in Old Man Filch's Cabin and Tom had killed the old man for food, in fact the broth he gave Harry was made from an organ.

***

The next morning, Harry woke up alone in bed and immediately decided to attempt escape, falling off the bed with a thump.

Tom rushed into the room when he heard the noise, "You were trying to leave!?"

Tom angrily picked him up and placed him back in the bed, "I didn't want to have to do this but you leave me no choice."

Tom then untied Harry's hands and tied Harry's left wrist to the right post on the backboard and did the same to the other hand.

"Stop!" Harry shouted as the ropes burned his skin and tears brimmed in his eyes

Once finished, Tom kissed the tears away, "No need for tears, just love."

"Please untie me." Harry begged

"Not until you either become my Queen or obedient." Tom denied, leaving the room, "I'll be back in a bit."

Tom was angry so he locked the bedroom door and the front door and went to take his anger out on someone.

***

Back in the room, Harry tried to escape the ropes, quickly failing and beginning to cry, he was trapped.

"Tom?" Harry asked after an hour of tears, his voice hoarse, "Tom?"

He wanted water, his threat was so dry, "Tom?"

After awhile, Harry heard a door open and saw Tom, but he couldn't say anything.

Tom saw the tear marks and the pain obvious on Harry's face, immediately feeling guilty and going to get a glass of water and a straw, helping Harry drink.

The voices yelled at him, telling him that it was his fault that the Queen was hurt and he deserved to be punished.

Tom nodded, once he was done helping Harry drink he sat in the corner of the room and began to cut his own wrists with his pocketknife, not deeply but enough to hurt him.

Harry looked at him in shock and horror, "Don't!"

Tom looked at him, pausing his punishment, he was confused.

"Don't hurt yourself." Harry repeated, tears beginning to spill

The voices yelled at Tom again, the Queen was crying at it was his fault, he needed to do another punishment.

Tom whimpered and started to hit his own head, Harry shouted, "Stop it!"

Tom looked at him again, "Why? I deserve punishment."

Harry tried to wipe his eyes, "Don't hurt yourself, it makes me sad."

Tom was frozen in place, the Queen told him to stop but the voices said he deserved more punishment.

In his confusion, he fell to the floor and started to thrash around, having a seizure.

Harry tried to get out of his chains, but they held strong and he watched Tom's seizure in horror for what felt like eternity.

When he came out of it, Tom whimpered and sat up, looking at the Queen and expected to be yelled at.

Harry sighed, knowing he wasn't going to escape and Tom was only going to get worst as time went on.

So, he gave in, "I love you, Tom, don't scare me like that again."...


	5. The Petals Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Ending to the Alternate Ending

Narrator's POV

Tom stared at the mirror ceiling of his cell.

The now eighteen year old rolled around his padded cell, whimpering as he tried to get out of his straight-jacket.

After awhile, Tom gave up and rolled over and went back to staring at the ceiling; it had been a year since he had seen his Queen and that felt like an eternity.

He was still mad about that, his Queen had tricked him and had escaped, which led to them being separated.

Tom growled as he again attempted to free himself, but it was of no use, and he didn't have the voices' help because of all the pills those mean doctors had forced him to swallow.

***

From above Tom, several psychiatrists as well as Thomas Riddle Sr. watched the teen through the glass.

It was a pitiful sight, Tom went through cycles of thrashing around and sobbing as he failed to free himself.

Tom also went through cycles of begging and screaming, desperate to see Harry Potter and yelling at him for tricking and leaving him.

The doctors had tried to help him, but Tom refused to speak to anyone, every time someone tried he demanded that Harry be brought to him, that he wouldn't speak to anyone else.

Even Tom's father, who had been called to answer some questions had tried to speak to him but was just screamed at, Tom had yelled about how he hated him and how he did this.

But, a positive thing, besides Harry's returned freedom, was that the doctors had pieced together something they hoped was close to the truth on why Tom was the way he was.

Tom was born bipolar and schizophrenic, that couldn't be changed, but Tom's entire life is what caused him to detach from reality and into the fantasy world of his own creation.

His mother had died in childbirth at the orphanage Tom had been raised in, having denied hospital help and saying that she'd rather die than live with the knowledge that her mistake child existed; he had been abandoned by his father; he had been ostracized in the orphanage; he had never made a friend, he was all alone.

And in that loneliness, he had turned to the voices in his head and did as they said.

A usual schizophrenic would know the things the voices told them to do were wrong, but Tom, having never been taught, took their word and did it.

Tom was a confirmed killer of twenty people and suspected of dozens more.

But Tom didn't find a single thing wrong with that, it was justified to him, he had to learn to how to protect his Queen.

***

It had been a year since he had escaped Tom, since he had returned to his life, but Harry still wasn't happy.

Every other day he got a letter from the mental hospital begging him to come speak to Tom so they could help him but Harry always ignored it, he didn't want to be in the same room as his kidnapper.

But, at the same time, Harry was a sweet person and felt guilty, he knew that Tom's obsession with him ran so deep that deep was an understatement so he finally agreed to come talk to Tom.

***

The door to Tom's cell opened to reveal three people, Tom didn't look at them, thinking more doctors were coming to make him take more pills but then he heard his Queen's beautiful voice and flipped around.

Tom tried to go to him but couldn't stand, couldn't crawl because of his straight-jacket, so he just pushed himself towards Harry, desperate to be near him again.

Harry sighed sadly, "Tom, the doctors told me that you aren't talking to them."

Tom nodded, "They're mean, they wouldn't let me se you!"

"Tom, I want you to listen to them, they want to help you. No more screaming or trying to hurt them or trying to run away. If I find out that you have, I won't let you be my Knight anymore." Harry said, trying to appeal to Tom's fantasy to get him to listen

All of the color in Tom's face drained, he couldn't loose his Queen, his reason for life!

Tom nuzzled against Harry's leg like a cat, sobbing and promising that he would.

Harry patted Tom's head, "Good, I'll be back soon to make sure you keep your promise."

Tom nodded and begged Harry not to leave him again, to stay with him as meant to be.

***

A week later Harry returned, having heard that Tom hadn't done anything but sob and beg.

Harry went into the padded cell again, "Tom, you broke your promise."

Tom shook his head, "Uh uh. I didn't yell or attack or try to leave! I was good, I promise!"

"You didn't listen to the doctor."

"I wanted to see you, my Queen, they wouldn't let me!"

"You didn't finish your promise. You are no longer my Knight." Harry said

Tom snapped, screaming and sobbing as if he'd been ripped in half, begging for forgiveness.

Harry shook his head and walked out.

Tom managed to stand and tackled Harry, begging him to stay, to let him be a Knight again.

Doctors pulled Tom off of Harry and dragged him back to the corner of his cell.

***

Tom was a mess, it had been three days since Harry had left.

In those three days, Tom had done nothing but beg and cry, he refused water and food, spit out his pills, wanting to die.

He saw no reason to live, he was no longer a Knight to his Queen.

Tom was in the small shower the hospital made him use weekly, finally free from his straight-jacket, Tom moved his hands so the water funneled into his mouth, trying to drown himself.

But the orderly stopped him, dragging him away and getting him back in his pants, t-shirt and straight jacket.

Tom laid down and stared at the ceiling, wanting the glass to shatter on him and kill him.

Tom managed to stand and threw himself at the wall, wanting to snap his neck but the padding was too soft.

The eighteen year old rocked himself, he needed his Queen back, he was all alone.

He was empty without his Queen.

***

Harry felt bad, he knew he had probably destroyed Tom with the demotion, but Tom didn't listen to him so he needed to be punished.

He sighed as he entered the institute, walking to the sign-in and getting a name-tag, going to Tom's cell.

He carefully opened the door and saw the mess of a human he imagined.

Tom was rocking in the corner, but he paused when he saw Harry.

"My Queen?" Tom asked, cheeks stained with tears

Harry nodded, kissing Tom's head, "You can be my Knight again."

Tom lit up and hummed, he was so happy!

Now he just needed to convince his Queen to run away with him again...


End file.
